G-L,
l just received this email from Sidi sanneh at ADB in Abidjan. l was not
aware of this but it seems there is some kind of strong military presence in
the streets of Abidjan, and these guys said they have been told to stay put
in their offices. Let us pray that their families are fine. There are a
couple of messages regarding the situation forllowing Sidi's email message.

Jabou

In a message dated 12/23/99 9:21:33 AM Central Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

Jabou,
 I thought that you will be interested top know that your brother Abdou and
 the entire Gambian community are ok.  I am used to this kind of stuff having
 to deal with Sierra Leone , Gambia and Liberia.  The political situation in
 this country has deteriorated rapidly since the death of Houphet.  Bedie
 doesn't have what it takes to run the country.  Wish us well.  We have been
 ashed to stay put in our offices as the situation is very fluid for the time
 being.  Regards Sidi
 -----Original Message-----
 From:  SAIKI, KEMAL
 Sent:  Thursday 23 December 1999 14:58
 To:    All Staff
 Subject:   Follow-up Cote d'Ivoire

 23Dec1999 COTE D'IVOIRE: Groups of military in Abidjan streets, shots fired.
 13:56 GMT
 ABIDJAN, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Small groups of military men took to the streets
 of Ivory Coast's commercial capital Abidjan on Thursday, with some firing
 shots in the air, witnesses said.
 The precise identity of the military men and the nature of their protest
 were not immediately clear but one witnesses said that they had come out of
 a school for the country's paramilitary gendarmerie.
 "I saw a truck with men looking like soldiers. One was standing upright, he

 pointed his gun at me and said, 'Back off'," Reuters correspondent Vincent
 t'Sas said by phone from a road near the school.
 He said a main road leading out of Abidjan towards the town of Bingerville
 appeared to have been blocked.
 Another witness saw what she described as a military personnel carrier that
 had turned into the car park of one of Abidjan's big supermarkets, SOCOCE,
 in the Deux Plateau district. There were at least three men inside.
 "Guys started jumping out. One started shooting a rifle. People were diving
 for cover," said Ann Gray, a former Canadian police officer. It was unclear
 what he was firing at or if anyone was injured. She said the men wore
 mismatched camouflage uniform.
 (C) Reuters Limited 1999.
 Sources:REUTERS NEWS SERVICE

 CoteIvoire-troops,2ndlead
    Troops firing in air in Abidjan
    ATTENTION - ADDS detail ///

    ABIDJAN, Dec 23 (AFP) - Troops in vehicles and on foot were travelling
 through Abidjan Thursday, firing in the air.
    They caused panic among residents of the economic capital of Cote
 d'Ivoire.
    The reasons for the gunfire, which was heard throughout the city, were
 not
 immediately known.
    National radio stopped broadcasting.
    Soldiers requisitioned taxis and private cars, including one belonging to

 an AFP journalist which they loaded with arms before heading toward the
 national radio station.
    The first bursts of gunfire were heard on Thursday morning at the Akouedo

 military camp, in an eastern area of Abidjan.
     fp/jlr/hn

 Kemal SAIKI
 ADB Corporate Communications >>

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